King James Version

What Does Haggai 2:19 Mean?

“Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.”

Context

I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.

Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider it.

Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.

And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,

Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(19) **Is the seed yet in the barn**?—*i.e.,* There is no grain as yet in the barn, the harvest having been blighted in the last season. The term rendered in the Authorised Version “seed” does not imply grain for sowing, but grain for provision. The fruit harvest was as defective as that of cereals, having been cut off by the hail. (See Haggai 2:17.) The prospect was thus one of deepest gloom. But human helplessness is God’s opportunity. He pledges His word even at this crisis by the mouth of Haggai, “From this day I will bless.”

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Haggai. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Haggai 2:19 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.